Sidiz puts office chair on racetrack for launch of new T50 model

Progressive seating brand Sidiz said Monday it marked the launch of its redesigned "T50" office chair with an unusual event: a chair race.

The event, called "Sidiz Chair Race," was held Saturday at Sidiz's manufacturing plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and drew 60 participants who competed in individual and team chair races, along with a fitness-themed event called "Chair Rocks." Rather than a static product showcase, the race let participants experience the chair's durability and handling by riding it through a dynamic course.

The T50, launched in 2007, has sold more than 3 million units and become one of Korea's best-selling office chairs.

Sidiz said it built the new second-generation model on 20 years of accumulated user data, overhauling its core components, and designed the race to reintroduce the chair as something people could actively move and compete on rather than simply sit in.

The competition format was modeled on Japan's office-chair racing event, ISU-1 GP.

Participants, recruited through the running media and travel platform CLTOO, formed teams of three and competed ...